i just got a bunny - have questions

[newbunnyowner]

hi everyone - i just bought a bunny from a petstore yesterday - my 4 year old son is absolutely rabbit crazy - and igot this bunny as a gift for him

i have lots of questions about keeping a rabbit at home - its only a 2 month old baby

- should i only feed him the food that i bought from the pet store or should i give him carrots etc?

- how do i potty and peepee train him? - i read in other posts thatmost rabbits are litter trained - how do you get them to pee at aspecific spot in the first place?

- what else is absolutely important that i should know?



will appreciate any advice

huzy

 

[Flopsy]

I got my Flopsy from a pet store.

-Feed your new pet pellets or what ever he was used to eatting. Youdon't want to change his diet or he could die.I woundl't givehim carrots yet.

-Also make she that he has a water bottle or a bowl filled with water

-make she that no one is bothing him. Meaning keep him in his cage anddon't let anyone(including you) pick him up or take him out. You havegot to remember that he has just been taken and put in a place wherenothing is famlier to him. He is scared to death. I would leave himalone for a week. Only put your hands in his cage to give him more foodand water. He probly will not eat for a few days ethier. Just give himprivicy for a few days. You don't want to stress him out.

-after 3 days you may rest your hands on the top of his cage and repeat his name gently. This way he will learn his name.

I would ask Carolyn on how to potty train him. *grins and pulls her over* She is more experinced then me.

 

[Loz n Ebony]

Welcome newbunnyowner!

Great advice! Also most rabbit owners give their rabbits hay.Most rabbit owners feed their rabbits timothy hay. (Idont think theyhave it in england they might do but i havnt seen it).
When you do give your rabbits carrots etc only give them toyour pets in moderation because too many "treats" can be bad for yourrabbits.

Find out what food they gave him/her at the place your got your petfrom and feed that to your rabbit. If you do decide tochangeyour rabbits diet then introduce new food very slowly.

hope this helps!
Love 4rm loz n ebony and Fidget
xoxoxox

 

[Carolyn]

Congratulations, Newbunnyowner, and welcome to the forum :dude:

Treats, such as carrots, fruits, vegetables, etc., should be given nomore than two or three days a week, and in moderation. They're filledwith sugar and it's very bad for rabbit's digestive system.

Give her plenty of fresh water at all times. If they don't have water,they won't eat and water is the most important thing for their systems.

A good pellet food such as Purina Rabbit Chow, Nutreena, OxBow,Heinold, Blue Seal are good feeds. If you go to a feed store, most thatare sold there are good for your rabbit. It shouldn't be colorful asthat type of food tends to please people more than it is nutritionaland healthy for your new baby. I'd definitely steer clear of Kayteefeeds.

Your rabbit would greatly benefit from Timothy Hay as it helps move furblocks, keeps their teeth in good shape, and they love it. It's best toput the hay in a hayrack rather than on the floor because if the rabbitsoils it, it can get very sick and it can be fatal in the end.

Don't use cedar shavings as your litter, and if you don't have awire-bottom cage or are using a litterbox with pine shavings, be sureto clean it often through the day because some have said that thesoiled pine shavings can be a problem for rabbits. Better to be safethan sorry and keep it tidy.

You should read the post on Cooling your Rabbit in the Summer Months atthe top of the board. In case you're in an area where it's hot, youshould know the precautions to be taken.

There's a post in here that I'll find and bump back up to the topentitled Litterbox Training. I'd start there and if you have anyquestions, reply in that thread and someone will certainly help you out.

It's a good idea to have a piece of hard wood, like fruit tree wood (Iuse apple as it's very hard) for your rabbit to keep its teeth fileddown. Rabbit's teeth constantly grow, and they keep them filed bychewing on the hard wood.

What did you name the little one?

-Carolyn

 

[newbunnyowner]

thanks for all this helpful info

we're still to find a name - has just come in last evening

what about cleaning them - do rabbits have showers? - or tub baths? -or rinses - how do clean them - and what soaps or shampoos should beused?

 

[HankHanky]

Hello NBO,

Rabbits do NOT require baths. They clean themselves much as a Cat does.The only time spot cleaning might become necessary is when you rabbitdevelops Diarrhea or sits in it's Cecotropes grinding them into thefur. As for feeding Carrots or other fruits and vegetables: I would notdo it until the rabbit is atleast five [5] months old and then only inmoderation as a treat. Petshop feeds are mostly JUNK-FOOD for rabbits[Fiesta etc.] The pretty colored sugery bits in it will cause GIstasisand could lead to the untimely death of your bunny. I suggest going toa Feed store and purchasing a brand name pelleted rabbit feed. Switchthe feeds if the rabbit was started on the Fiesta type Petshop feed.It will not cause a problem and infact will probably be beneficial toyour bunny. Be sure to supply grasshay atleast every other day. You canNEVER give a rabbit too much grasshay. Grasshay will help to preventwool/furblock by keeping the hindgut functioning properly. I hope thishelped.

Dennis,C.V.R. http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/crescentvalley

 

[Carolyn]

Hi Newbunnyowner,

No need to give your bunny baths or rinses. Actually, they don't takewell to it and can cause much undue stress and it fouls up theirnatural oils that the fur holds.

If your rabbit has long hair, sometimes their poop gets stuck and youmay need to use a mild soap and water to clean it off, but don'timmerse the rabbit in a bath. I know some people will say their rabbitslike baths, but that's few and far in between. Elderly or obese rabbitsneed help with this sometimes too.

Don't let your rabbit get fat. It's certainly not healthy at all forthem, and often fatal. They sometimes have a hard time cleaningthemselves, and that leads to further troubles.

Generally, the scale is:
2-4 lbs. of body weight: 1/8 cup daily
5-7 lbs. of body weight: 1/4 cup daily
8-10 lbs. of body weight: 1/2 cup daily
11-15 lbs. of body weight: 3/4 cup daily

You'll notice that your little one eats his/her poops sometimes. That'snothing to be alarmed about. It's something they must do that givesthem the nutrients that only their systems can provide. It's not normallooking poop, it looks like a small bundle of grapes. They're calledcecotropes and are moist. Don't be alarmed if you notice them in thecage or him/her eating them. These are as a result of indigestiblefiber turning into digestible nutrients.

I'd strongly recommend you get a book called "Rabbits for Dummies" byAudrey Pavia. It's a good book to start out with as you're learningabout rabbits.

Also, check out the sitehttp://muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk_intro.html for more informationon their body language and behaviors. Look up what a binky is becauseyou'll hear us talking about it here. Enjoy the site. It's a lot of funto check out and it's extremely well done an accurate.

Let us know when you find a name.

-Carolyn

 

[trekcip5]

You have been given some great info already, so Imay be repaeating some. First off, rabbits clean themselveslike cats, so no need for baths. Second, you have a baby whohas only been weaned for about 2 weeks. Feed a good qualityrabbit pellet, do not by pet store food, it is full of stuff your bundoesn't need. Find a feed store or go the the Purina, BlueSeal, Agway, web sites and find a dealer who sells it nearyou. It should have about 16% protein, fine for petbuns. How much to feed, buns are usually given free feeduntil 6 months old, meaning, fill up the bowl when it isempty. DO NOT feed vegies, or fruit to buns under 6 monthsold, it will really mess up their system and give them loosestools. Old Fashioned Quaker Oats or any store brand, can begiven freely as treats or along with pellets. Water should beavailable 24/7 and should be fresh every day. I change allmine in the morning and in the evening. As far as littertraining, someone else will have to pick up the ball, as I don't havehouse rabbits. But to continue, the bun should have a cagewith a drop pan, so all the waste goes through the wire into the panand the bun is not coming in contact with it. For any buns Ihave inside, I put cheap store brand kitty litter in the pan, it reallykeeps down the odor and makes cleaning very easy. Just besure to pour it in, in another room, so the bun doesn't breath in thedust. It is completly safe as they do not come in contactwith it. For litter training outside the cage, something elsemust be used in a box the rabbit comes in contact with. Asstated, no cedar chips or shavings as they are very dangerous to bunslungs.

Handling your bun, the more you do the better pet it will be.Talk to him all the time, take him out every day. Do not chasehim. I take my new buns out each night and let them play onthe couch while I watch TV. They eventually coem to me andsnuggle, on their terms, not mine. We start the socializingprocess with our kits even before their eyes are open. Wepick them up, pet and kiss and talk to them. Pnve their eyesopen, they get to come inside every day and get cuddled by me or myson. This continues until they are sold, and they are veryused to people by that time and make very calm and loveablepets. They key is to do everything gently andquietly. Taking a new bun out of his cage when children arescreaming and dogs are barking is not a good thing. The moreyou handle them, the calmer they become and the more they will bondwith you, especially an 8 week old who has only been away from mom fortwo weeks. If you have any questions, feel free toask. Donna